Don’t claim endorsements you don’t have

Seems like that lesson needs to be re-learned every cycle. We already have two examples of it this cycle. Here’s example one:

City Council candidate Eric Dick apologized for advertising an upcoming fund-raiser by sending out a mailer featuring a photo of Sheriff Adrian Garcia standing with Dick in front of City Hall.

“I didn’t mean that to suggest that he’s endorsing or that he’d be at the fundraiser,” Dick said. “I’m sorry if he didn’t want it in there.”

He didn’t.

And here’s example two, from Bill White’s Facebook page:

Houston City Council District C candidate Brian Cweren placed my photo in a local weekly, beside the words “I’m backing Brian.” Well, no. I never talked to him about the race, but I have talked about city issues with another candidate, my friend Ellen Cohen, a public servant with integrity. There will be “big shoes to fill” in that district when Ann Clutterbuck leaves. Mr. Cweren also had run against her.

Houston Politics noted it a few days later. I take both candidates at their word when they say they didn’t mean to imply anything, and I’m sure that this will be forgotten long before November. But please, all of you people who aren’t candidates for something yet, take note. This isn’t that hard to figure out.

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5 Responses to Don’t claim endorsements you don’t have

  1. Katydidknot says:

    This happens quite a bit, it seems. I remember getting a piece of snail mail before another recent election with an “Oops, I didn’t mean to say he endorsed me.”

    All I can figure is that these candidates get very excited about the fact they’ve had their picture taken with a well-known local figure, and they feel compelled to plaster the non-endorsing picture everywhere.

    Beginner’s mistake.

  2. Eric Dick says:

    Practicing law during the day and campaigning at night takes a whole lot out of a person. I prepared that mailer around 3am. Frankly, I was just trying to throw something together and go to bed. Looking back at it, it appears that I could have been more transparent. From here on out I will put disclaimers on any photos with elected officials (facebook included).

    When I make a mistake feel free to let me know. That is what life is about, learning from your mistakes. That’s all you get out of a mistake, the knowledge not to make the same mistake twice. But I’ll leave you with this – if [theoretically] our sheriff [who I am quite the fan of] does endorse me, will there be as much publicity?

  3. Don’t know about “as much” publicity, but I feel pretty confident that I would blog about it.

  4. Steven JOhannson says:

    To Eric Dick,

    If you will really learn from mistakes, you need to have your illegal campaign signs taken down. You paid to have the posted and owe to have them removed. Don’t use the utility company as an excuse. The same sign company, Gemini, can remove them. Own it and resolve it.

    What type of example are you setting? You are wasting tax payer money.

  5. pdbb2011 says:

    i would be greatly surprised if they were taken down by that group or any other group associated with Mr Dick. it appears more have went up in the last 3 day’s. us the tax payer will have to pay i’m sure some way. Mr Dick spends his money eating out! supply the signs dosent’ mean he knows where they go.

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